The A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials is proud to send the first cohort of 4 undergraduate researchers to South Korea for a 5-month research co-op. The students will be working with colleagues at NNFC-KAIST and KIST on individual research projects led by Drexel faculty. This collaboration is part of the NNFC-Drexel Nano2 Co-op Center, funded by the NRF and supported by Drexel’s Steinbright Career Development Center (SCDC), Office of International Programs, College of Engineering, and the A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute.

The high-technology industry in China is in the news a lot these days, but do you ever wonder what it’s really like? Find out this September 2018 by taking the special topics course BMES S680: Biotechnology and Industry in China, a one-week, 3-credit ‘intensive course abroad’ in Shanghai that will run during fall break, Sept. 14-22, 2018 (syllabus attached). Taught by DNI affiliated professor, Dr. Kara Spiller (Drexel BIOMED), who lived in Shanghai for a year and who speaks enough Mandarian Chinese that she won’t get you lost during daily activities, features visits to start-up biotechnology companies, large biotech companies like GSK and Amgen, and translational research laboratories in and outside of Shanghai, as well as social activities with ample opportunity to interact with Chinese students studying biomedical sciences and entrepeneurship at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and ShanghaiTech University.

The Graduate College, Graduate Student Association (GSA), and Office of Research are pleased to announce the Drexel Emerging Graduate Scholars Conference, a University-wide conference focused on innovative and interdisciplinary graduate research, on April 19, 2018.

This full-day conference provides opportunities for graduate students to showcase their research, participate in in-demand professional development workshops, and network with colleagues and professionals across diverse fields. The Emerging Graduate Scholars Conference also offers the University community with the opportunity to learn more about the innovative and problem-solving research of Drexel’s brightest and most promising graduate students.

On February 26, 2018, the Drexel University Libraries and the Office of the Provost hosted the sixth annual Celebrating Drexel Authors Event. This year, the event honored a total of 77 Drexel authors with publications in 2017. All 5 individuals honored from the College of Engineering who were recognized for publishing Highly Cited (Web of Science) papers in 2017 were from our MSE department. Read the full story here.

Three of our visiting high school students have won 1st place prizes at the PA Junior Academy of Science. They will proceed to the State competition next in State College, PA. The students are advised by current PhD students, Kanit Hantanasirisakul and Kathleen Maleski.

DNI faculty, Prof. Yury Gogotsi, is featured on website GIZMODO discussing the fictional material Vibranium, as featured in the recent popular Marvel Black Panther Movie.

Prof. Gogotsi states: “We can say that with a high probability no natural material can have those properties. As we know that all the same elements exist in the universe as on our planet earth, no mineral of pure metal is expected to have properties of Vibranium. Some of the properties of vibranium can be achieved, though not at the same scale, by design of material structure and architecture using advanced nanomaterials. Piezoelectric materials transform mechanical pressure and vibrations into voltage. Charge produced by piezoelectric materials can be stored and used. Kids running around in sneakers that lighten up with every step demonstrate this principle. Light advanced ceramic materials, such as boron carbide and silicon carbide, are used as armor in bullet-proof vests. They protect due to their extreme hardness—they are harder than any metal.

Material architectures capable of absorbing blast energy are being developed and can, potentially, protect a person jumping from a high altitude (but, again, this will be a 20-feet rather than a 20-story jump).”